So, the further into 2013 we go, the hotter it gets. Today was disgusting and tomorrow will, apparently be worse. Though a very welcome cold spell has struck Tasmania.
I noticed on the news tonight that the pointers have moved to ‘catastrophic’ in some areas of New South Wales. The bush fires are terrible. I noticed a lot of smoke rising from Bribie Island when I went for my evening walk.
We also heard, on the news, that temperatures in Tasmania have gone from a ridiculously abnormal 42.2 degrees to a more normal 16 degrees. Images of firemen enjoying the sudden appearance of rain were full of joy.
Meanwhile, in Queensland, there’s a plague of jelly fish. In today’s Courier Mail, there were descriptions of the four types including the lethal irukandji. These are tiny – just a bit bigger than a match head – but can kill very quickly. The reason for the large blooms of jelly fish is the heat.
Looking further afield, the monsoon season in India this year was, basically, a disaster. Drought conditions in the lead up to the rains led to a 20% reduction in water falling. This may not seem like much but it can be disastrous for the Indian economy. Fortunately, there was a massive increase in rain for the final month of the season so disaster was avoided but it was a close thing. Of course, the heavy finish of the season has led to devastating flash floods.
Then there’s the awful spate of droughts across mainland America. In 2011, Texas was crippled by a worse drought than the Dust Bowl; even worse than the decade of drought in the 1950s. It was the driest year since 1895. And it didn’t stop there. In 2012 “…nearly two-thirds of the contiguous United States was suffering moderate to exceptional drought — including 80 percent of the nation’s farmland (Raloff J, Extremely Bad Weather, Science News, Nov 2012)”
All of this makes me wonder why people have stopped worrying about global warming. I think the following quote could apply to most of the developed and developing world:
I know that we can solve global warming, but not unless and until we give up our fetish with technology. As a recovering engineer, I believe that the greenhouse effect was a technical problem with technological solutions 40 years ago. 20 years ago it had a political solution. Now, it is a moral problem the magnitude of which civilization has never seen. The immorality of the US denying complicity in the problems caused to the world’s poor and to future generations (who did little to cause the problem) dwarfs the immorality of human sacrifice, slavery, segregation, genocide, and any other previous social problem. Looking clearly into a future of the preventable death of billions of people and refusing to take reasonable and prudent action will be looked back at as despicable. There is no longer any excuse for inaction. Period. – Vincent Pawlowski, November 2012
I think it quite odd that people with small children don’t seem to care that they will inherit a cinder block for a planet. Mirinda reckons it’s because most humans can’t think further than a lifetime but the planet is changing before our eyes and is only getting worse. The next few decades are not going to be pleasant.
I gave up caring when I realised that people WITH children didn’t care. I mean, seriously, they’re the ones with the most to lose and if they’re not going to do anything why should I not indulge in everything that the modern world offers for those of us in the West?
Meanwhile, here’s a little family group enjoying the heat. I feel very sorry for the little ones.
Worrying never solved a thing Gary. Action is needed and there are many people taking action; but not enough people in conjunction with how many people on our planet. I believe Mother Nature will strike whether in a good way or in a destructive way to try and solve the man made problems. The weather is changing everywhere! The passed two weeks has been abnormally cold in California and definitely not what we are used to. Our heating bills are climbing. A brighter note though – Dan (husband) and Arthur (son) both work at a company to do with Space exploration; and every year we hear more possibilities of life away from Earth! So maybe that will be the answer for future generations? Who knows? We have to stay positive. Life shows in History and Geography books that things come around and go around in cycles and patterns of peace and war with this world. Nature usually steps in. I feel sad for all those who are suffering over these dilemmas; and I do try to do my best to not destroy our planet. Even though as you say all our technology is hurting more than helping. Except maybe in medical science I think without technology our medical saviors would not be so advanced as we are now; in saving lives. I think it’s all in the way we think. Whether the glass is half full or half empty? We are alive now; and while we are we can do something – as you say; help to do something; even if its to stop using plastic bags.
I was sorry to hear all the fires in Aussie and will chant ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’ for the heat to subside. Take care and lets try not to worry it makes us old before our time and doesn’t do much for the problems. Love you; and I love reading your experiences. Aunty Jan Jan xxxx
I agree about worrying and generally don’t. I’m not worried about the fate of the planet. I don’t care enough to worry. However…
While technology is no doubt keeping us alive longer, while the world keeps producing people, it makes it increasingly difficult to feed them. it is particularly difficult when the developed world over produces and wastes more resources than the undeveloped world needs.
I’m not sure what peace and war has to do with anything. Most conflicts on this planet have been caused by power struggles under the guise of religion. Sadly, the belief in a non-existent entity will not help anyone.
Yes, there’s possibly life on Mars…microscopic. Otherwise you have to go a bloody long way to find any. I’m thinking aliens would just laugh at our stupidity. ‘V’ springs to mind.
Mother Nature (whoever she is) doesn’t strike anything. The planet is constantly changing. Certain events trigger other planet wide events which change it. There is no good or bad as far as the planet is concerned. Humanity is merely part of the system and whether we exist or not is irrelevant. The dinosaurs grew too big for the planet to support them and they died out. This has happened many, many times in the last 3.4 billion years. Humanity is merely a blip. And, by the looks of it, a short one.
Gary
Sigh. I feel sorry for any habitable planet we do find.